CAT gets a fresh makeover for 2011

Bangalore: The Common Admission Test is here again, this time in a new avatar.

   The test, that holds the key to the most coveted management seats in the 13 Indian Institutes of Managements and major B-schools in the country, has gone for a format makeover. The test will be conducted between October 22 and November 18, 2011. Though the number of questions remains the same, CAT 2011 will have two sections instead of three, and an additional five minutes to tackle the test. According to an official statement released on Monday by Prometric, the testing agency and IIMs, CAT 2011 will have only two sections: the first will focus on Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation and the second on Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning.

    “These two sections will be implemented sequentially with separate time limits. The examination will be 140 minutes. Candidates will have 70 minutes to answer 30 questions within each section, which will have an on-screen timer. Once the time ends for the first, they will move to the second and will no longer be able to go back. Although new in the computer-based version of CAT, this format was previously practised in some of the earlier paper-and-pencil years,” said the statement.

Scholars beware! JNTU-H deploys plagiarism checker

Hyderabad: Research scholars of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) will have to be careful while turning in their theses and dissertations, as the university can now find out if they have plagiarised.

    The R&D cell of JNTU is using a software ‘Turn It In’ to check if the students have copied any content in their research submission, be it a term paper or an entire thesis. The university has taken this step following several complaints about plagiarism by the research scholars.

    JNTU-H has thus become the first university in the country to implement the use of such a software to track the plagiarised work of students. Officials at the R&D cell said that they had already run thesis of 300 students on the software; 40 per cent of them were found to have plagiarised the content. The students concerned were asked to resubmit their theses after deleting the plagiarised content, the officials said.

    They said that they would allow use of content from other sources if there are proper citations. “In the literature review and other parts of the thesis, basic citations are allowed. But if the content is copied without citation and passed on as one’s own, then the system will be able to detect it,” said Prof K Lalkishore, director (R&D), JNTU-H. He said that the students would be given two chances to delete the plagiarised content. “If it (the thesis) is seen as having plagiarised content for the third time, it will be rejected,” he warned.
According to JNTU professors, the software has been in use for the past three months. The university management decided on introducing the software as the students were seen to be copying from different sources on the internet. “No research guide can find all copied content, if it is copied from some obscure journal which he is not familiar with. That way a student can do an entire thesis by just copying and pasting material from the internet,” said an R&D official. Often, research guides from other universities are able to sniff out the plagiarized notes. “If foreign universities get to know that JNTU allows plagiarised content, then they can even refuse to admit students and also deny them partnerships, hence a crackdown,” said an official.

    The R&D cell director said that JNTU had also advised other universities in the state to get the software to check their research scholars’ work.“It takes just about four hours for the software to run a thesis and mark the plagiarised content. Other universities should introduce the same,” Lalkishore said.

New Courses offered at Nizam

Hyderabad: The Nizam College is offering three add-on courses in Sociology Department with durations from 6 months to 1 year.
These courses are diploma in Development Management studies and Development Research Methodologies, Criminology and Correctional Administration, and certificate course in Human Relationsand Personality Development. Contact 9347306889 or 9849292348.

73K aspirants skip tech counselling

HYDERABAD: As many as 73,128 students who qualified in Eamcet engineering stream skipped the ongoing counselling, leaving the managements of engineering colleges jittery.

While a total of 2,07,252 students had qualified in Eamcet engineering this year, only 1,34,124 had turned up for certificates’ verification in over 50 helpline centres across the state, when the deadline ended on Wednesday.

Of them, the officials expect about 20,000 students to opt for B. Pharmacy courses leaving only 1.14 lakh students to opt for engineering courses, while nearly 2,14,689 engineering seats are on offer in the convenor quota in the ongoing counselling.

This means, 1 lakh seats will remain vacant in the convenor quota alone assuming that all the 1.14 lakh students who turned up for counselling take admissions. Not to mention about another 1.04 lakh seats available in management quota, for which there are no takers, barring a few colleges which figure in the top-50 colleges list. The officials of higher education department fear that over 200 colleges will witness “single digit admissions” this year and will head for closure due to vacant seats.

Fee reimbursement to continue

HYDERABAD : In a damage control exercise, the State government has emphatically stated that the scheme to reimburse tuition fee and pay hostel maintenance charges (MC) to eligible students among the weaker sections will continue unchanged.
A detailed clarification was given on Thursday after activists of backward classes organisations staged demonstrations outside 22 EAMCET counselling centres protesting a notification issued by A.P. State Council of Higher Education on July 22. The notification made no mention of fee reimbursement to the weaker sections.
 Preventive custody
According to A.P. State BC Welfare Association president R. Krishnaiah and former A.P. BC Commission member V. Krishnamohan Rao, police took into preventive custody demonstrators outside counselling centres in Chittoor, Tirupati, Nalgonda, Warangal, Vizianagaram, and Kurnool.

RVM offers course for honing English skills

Hyderabad/Karimnagar: In a novel initiative, Rajiv Vidya Mission (RVM) has introduced spoken English classes for Telugu medium girl students in urban schools in Karimnagar district.
    The RVM officials prepared a special module for the crash course. Spoken English is being taught in 35 government girls high schools. The initiative, which was introduced on Monday, would be taken up for 60 days.
RVM project officer Ganga Reddy said the spoken English programme was launched simultaneously in the 35 girls high-schools. District collector Smitha Sabharwal said the crash course was introduced to improve English speaking communication skills of the girls.

    In neighbouring Warangal district, RVM is conducting residential bridge courses (RBCs) for those belonging to the Gothikoya tribe, who have migrated from neighbouring Chattisgarh.

353 model schools to come up in AP

HYDERABAD: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 409.77 crore to Andhra Pradesh as a first instalment to set up 353 new model schools in the educationally backward blocks in the state.
The amount will be released to the Andhra Pradesh Secondary Education Society under the Centrally-sponsored programme of scheme for setting up of 6,000 model schools at block level as benchmark of excellence.

In the first phase, 3,500 model schools would be set up all over the country. The next instalment would be released after the state spends 50 p.c of the released grants.In a statement issued on Wednesday, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy thanked Union minister for human resources development Kapil Sibal for releasing the grants. The state would release its share to the AP Secondary Education Society shortly. The HRD ministry has also sanctioned Rs 2.32 crore to the society as grants-in-aid under the scheme.

In the recently concluded ‘Education Fortnight’, the state government has inaugurated 1,067 high school complexes and laid foundation stones for 75 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and 500 more high school complexes in AP. Estimated expenditure during ‘Education Fortnight’ is likely to be about Rs 2,500 crore.

CBSE to prepare MBBS questions

Posted on : 26-07-2011 Source : Deccan Chronicle
In view of the Union health ministry giving its nod and the Centre making the requisite amendments in “Regulations on Graduate Medical Education” as well as PostGraduate Medical Education, a “common core syllabus” is being prepared for MBBS admissions on the basis of the syllabi of the school boards of different states, the MCI’s counsel stated.

The MCI decided to introduce the common NEET as per the proposal put forth during the national-level meeting of deans, principals, directors of various colleges and institutions, which was hosted by the government to examine the issue on March 29.

This was followed by another meeting of the Board of Governors of MCI and officials of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to finalise the modalities for NEET for MBBS admissions to be conducted by the CBSE.

“In a further meeting on July 18, it was decided to make the core syllabus of the NEET under-graduate admissions available on the MCI website for feedback from the relevant stakeholders,” the MCI note stated.

The pattern of the examination, distribution of questions across different MBBS subjects and model questions would be made available on the MCI website from August for the benefit of students.

The CBSE has also been given the responsibility of preparing the MBBS question papers. “Regarding the common NEET for postgraduate (MD/MS) admissions across the country, the modalities are being worked out. The examination is schedule for next JanuaryFebruary for the academic year 2012-13,” the MCI note said.

Taking note of recent paper leaks, the MCI said, “CBSE has indicated that for security reasons, the question paper will be only in English and Hindi.”

Single engg test gets huge support

New Delhi: The concept of introducing single examination for admission to all undergraduate courses in science and engineering has received overwhelming support. As many as 73% of the people who sent in their responses backed the proposal.

    A committee under T Ramasami, secretary, department of science and technology, involved in designing the National Testing Scheme had sought public opinion on the proposal through a specially designed questionnaire on a range of issues. A website was launched in May 2011 to seek responses online and was open till June 21, 2011.

Centre to Launch BSC Vocational Engineering

New Delhi: To improve the students employability, the Centre has decided to launch the Bsc(vocational engineering) Course from next academic year. Minister for Human resource Development Kapil Sibal On Friday Said that National vocational Education Qualifications.

Framework (NVEQF) would be finalized soon. To a question during the hour in Rajya Sabha,Sibal said.” Industry would prepare the Syllabus and then introduce it in the school system and polytechnics or engineering colleges easily find jobs.” Referring to his interaction with the automobile industry,Sibal said that the CBSC system would have Class Xii (academic) and Class Xii(Vocational) so that the child can decide as to which area he wanted to opt, at any given point in time, in Class Xi and Xii .

Pointing out that there are about 150 Courses in automobile engineering, the minister said that any student can choose any particular line an he can get himself absorbed in to the sector. He said that consultations were held with different sectors of industry. Replying to a Supplementary Question, Sibal Said,” We must not be dismayed by reports on Employability of engineers carried out by multi-nationals with reference to the It sector.

       HRD MINISTER KAPIL SIBAL ON FRIDAY SAID THAT NATIONAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK WOULD BE FINILISED SOON.

10 marks for compulsory questions on environment

HYDERABAD: A total of 10 marks in each subject for all students from class I to class X will be allocated fo rcompulsary questions on environment from this academic year, said W.G.Prasanna Kumar, director, Andhra Pradesh National Green Corps (NGC).

Speaking to press persons here on friday, Mr.Prasanna Kumar said the chairman of the core committee constituted to monitor the implementation of the supreme court judgement on Environment Education(EE), Jayshree Sharma, held a review meeting on the  current status in the state two days ago.
Those present at the review meeting included officials of State Council for Educational Research and Training, sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan and the (NGC)

Two Projects

Apart from the 10 marks for all students, from this academic year every student from class VI to class X will have to do two projects each year on environment which get graded and appear in the progress cards.

This is the requirement under the latest orders of the supreme court and more than 90,000 schools in the state will ahve to implement them, Mr.Prasanna Kumar said.
Every examination in every subject from monthly test, quarterly, half yearly, term and annual exams should have a separate section with 10 percent compulsary marks from the grand total for questions on concepts of Environment Education, he said.

ETE offers 3-year Computer course

HYDERABAD: The IETE Hyderabad Centre is Conducting  Advanced  level course in Computer Science (ALCSS) which is equivalent to M.Tech in the Computer Science, in the evenings on regular part time basis . the Course is recognized by Government of India, Osmania University ,JNTU-Hyderabad,  Guru Gobindh Singh  Indraprastha University and Association of  Indian Universities. The eligibility for this courses is B.E/B.Tech/AMIETE /AMIE or equivalent degree or MCA/M.Sc(Maths/Staticts/Operation Research /Physics/Electronics/Computer Science).The last date for applying is August 6.for more details contact IETE,Hyderabad Centre, Near OU Post Office, OU Campus ,Hyderabad (phones  270982025, 27095128. Website:”www.iete.org.)

Now, fee reimbursement for children of govt staff

Hyderabad: The fee reimbursement scheme will drain the exchequer of an additional Rs 1,000 crore from this academic year (2011-12). While the government has been spending Rs 2,100 crore on the scheme that covers 26 lakh students till the academic year 2010-11, with the changes introduced on Tuesday the money that will have to be allocated per annum is expected to go up to Rs 3,100 crore from the coming academic year, officials estimated.

   According to the modified rules, students with parental income of less than Rs 2 lakh will be eligible for the scheme. Earlier the parental income limit was Rs 1 lakh per annum. With these changes,children of group IV staff from government services from SC and ST communities will now be eligible for the reimbursement scheme. With changed rules, the scheme is expected to attract at least an excess of six to eight lakh students who were not included till last year in the scheme, officials said. The decision to include more students under the scheme has come at a time when the government still has to pay Rs 480 crore to the college managements as arrears for the last two academic years.

    Officials of social welfare department said that the government has decided to increase the income limit by Rs 1 lakh as several government employees with weak financial background had complained that they were not benefitted by the scheme and that they deserved it. “When a small time private labourer could avail the scheme without much trouble, government employees who earn about Rs 1.5 lakh per annum were not included under the scheme. Hence the changes were introduced,” said an official. The higher education department is however, not happy with the changes, officials said. “The promise was to streamline the scheme starting this year. But instead we have increased its range,” said an official. The state government has, however, decided to grade colleges and also inspect them frequently to make sure that only the eligible students are being benefitted by the scheme.

TECHNICAL WRITER - AS A CAREER

Technical writing, a form of technical communication, is a style of formal writing and is used in fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics and biotechnology. Technological Writers explain complex ideas to the technical and non­technical audiences.

Technical Writers often write for readers who know less than they do about their subject, and they try to inform the readers about it rather than show how much they know.

In some organizations Technical Writers may be called Information Developers, Documentation Specialists, Documentation Engineers or Technical Content Developers.

Technical Writers are more successful when they try to impress their readers with how clearly and simply they can present information the readers need. A good Technical Writer needs strong language skills and must understand the highly evolved conventions of modern technical communications.
Quality of a good Technical Writer:
Good Technical Writers in high-tech firms ask two questions about their readers:

i.     How much do they know about my subject?
ii.    How interested will they be in reading what I have written?
Readers will know a little about the subject, a lot, or something in between. Readers may be uninterested, very interested or somewhere in between, but to keep the readers interest, the technical writer must feel the readers’ response ‘and control the tone and content of the subject.

Prospects of Technical Writers:

Thousands of business and trade magazines and papers are published by industries and publishing firms to keep readers informed about special fields. Industrial publications are often written and edited by Technical Writers. Newspapers, news magazines and wire services employ Technical Writers. Professional journals covering automobile industries, engineer-ing, computers, medicine, law, chemistry, biotechnology, etc. use Technical Writers to report professional trends and to work as editors.

Many Technical Writers work as freelance writers. They are paid by the job or by the hour. Sometimes they are hired to do specific jobs such as writing about a new high-tech product or advancement. Some Technical Writers start out as Research Assistants or as trainees in a Technical Information Department and then are promoted as Technical Writers.

A Technical Writer has no true career levels, but can move up into management of other writers. He could grow into a Senior Technical Writer position, handling complex projects or a small team of writers and editors. His next rise could be a Documentation Manager handling multiple projects and teams.

Technical Writers in high-tech firms are encouraged to state their subject, audience and purpose at the beginning of a document unless the purpose is to persuade the readers to understand the product.

Technical Writers in high-tech firms must be able to write as quickly as possible, and must be able to switch from one writing task to another. Requirements for documents sometimes arise suddenly, and often there is little time between the first notice of a requirement and the deadline for the document.

Technical Writers may also have additional planning duties, including contributing to the documents’ design, writing or reviewing the document outline for content coverage, logical organization, and providing guidelines for the writers and editors. Writing and editing guidelines help ensure consistency in formats, acronyms and abbreviations, and technical details, to cut editing time.

In high-tech firms Technical Writers have two type of audiences i.e. a Primary and a Secondary.

A document written for readers outside the firm will be reviewed by the writer’s supervisor and other company staff before it is revised, put into production, and released to the outside audience. These reviewers are a Secondary audience. The outside readers (the related customers) are the Primary audience.

When Technical Writers have two audiences, they must satisfy their Secondary audience with the document while they try to make it communicate effectively with the Primary audience. Usually, the Secondary audience is familiar with the Primary and can provide effective review.

Technical Writers often recommend usage guidelines or strict observance of the company style manual to his Senior who decides which standard to follow in the document. The longer a document the more important it is for the Technical Writer to coordinate activities with publication staff, letting them know how much work is coming, when it will be submitted, and when it is needed. Accordingly he has to plan and schedule his work.

Technical Writers are expected to be strong in all steps of the writing process. They are expected to emphasis the product and not the processes. The final document (write-up) is much more important in high-tech firms then other professional settings.

Personal Skills of a Technical Writer:
A Technical Writer must possess very good skills in writing good English. He must have good research and communication skill to gather information about the product using many media like- Internet, books, and sometimes to interview the experts in the field, design skills and multimedia presentation.

A Technical Writer should be familiar with the specified subject area apart from technically skilled or trained.

Challenges before the Technical Writers:
In companies that do not produce written or on-line documents for sale, Technical Writers often have to justify their positions by demonstrating that their work has increased the marketability of the firm’s goods or services. Technical Writers are the image builders of the company and are an essential aid to augment its profits. They must keep themselves up-dated with new technical developments in their fields. He must up-date his skills daily by collaborating with educated, intelligent people who value their services. As technology develops, the material technical writers work with changes constantly. The variety makes their work more interesting and challenging and the new materials educate them.

Eligibility for Technical Writers:
There is no requirement of a formal education in the field of Technical Writers. Any Degree with a Post Graduation degree or diploma preferably in Journalism and Mass Communication, knowledge of good English language and IT skills are desirable for a Technical Writer. Computer literacy and knowledge of software application, Microsoft word, page maker, frame maker, rob help and front page, etc. are some of the important skills a Technical Writer must possess.

Jobs Description of a Technical Writer are:
• To prepare catalogues, user manuals and guides, technical help books, engineering reports and online help documents.
• To communicate with actual developers of products.
• To work closely with engineers, scientists, pharmaceutical firms and accountants.

Jobs available for a Technical Writer:
At various firms such as advertising agencies, software developing companies, and in newspapers and magazines, Technical Writers are in demand. The highest demand for Technical Writers is generated by the IT industries. Freelancers can also take up work on contract basis from the companies.

Companies like Infosys Technologies Ltd, Sun Microsystems, InfoTech, often appoint Technical Writers for their companies.

Institutes/Universities offering Courses for Technical Writing:
Though the Technical Writing field in India is growing faster than ever before, no institute/University in the country impart any kind of Technical Writing course or training purely. Some university courses include a paper in Technical Writing in their curriculum along with Journalism and Mass Communication courses etc.

(Pradip Kumar Nath is Assistant Professor, National Institue of Rural Development & Hemprabha Chauhan is former Asst. Professor, Institute of Media & Technology, Gurgaon and Journalist Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500030)
Courtesy: Employment News

Mera Bharat Mahan

On August 15, 1947 India awakened to a new dawn. It broke free from the shackles of British rule. The country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru said in his historic speech in Parliament on that day: “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new...India discovers herself again.” For us to breathe in free India our forefathers struggled and one has heard the heroic tales of our freedom fighters who have laid down their lives from Rani Lakshmibai to Mahatma Gandhi. To them, independence meant tremendous effort coupled with unswerving determination to break free from the British rule.

One can make out that Independence Day is round the corner, when suddenly the shops are full of sale of flags and other memorabilia attached with the day. Some enthusiastic students pin up flags to their dress, while some others wear dress resembling the colours of the flag.

For students, it is essential to attend Independence Day celebrations in school on August 15 where the national flag is hoisted. They also learn about the country’s progress in various areas. In some schools, skits and poems reflecting the flavour of Independence is presented. All those who attend school are given chocolates and biscuits after the flag hoisting. 

At important junctions and crossroads, homage is paid to freedom fighters and if you are passing through these areas, then one can hear songs associated with freedom struggle at full blast. One of the songs played more often on these occasions is melody queen Lata Mangeshkar’s ‘Mere Veer Jawano ….’ Some of the songs leave you with moist eyes, when you pass these areas.   

On the eve of Independence Day, President of India addresses the nation on the achievements and future programmes of the Union government. On Independence Day, the Prime Minister addresses the nation from the historic ramparts of Red Fort. Before his address, the premier pays his respects to the departed soldiers at Amar Jawan Jyoti near India Gate.    

Sometimes one is left wondering whether the streak of patriotism is missing in today’s generation. “Certainly not,” some students of a well-known college said in unison. “One doesn’t have to wear patriotism on the sleeve to prove that they are patriotic,” Suresh, a final year student of a commerce college said. 

“We have learnt a lot about the freedom struggle in our History classes at school and we are always thankful to them for our Indepedence,” Priya, a student of a girl’s college said. Echoing similar thoughts, Dhananjay, student of a public school said: “We have great respect for the nightingale of India Sarojini Naidu, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.” 
For many Independence Day means flying a kite. It denotes soaring into the sky to climb higher, higher and higher. The sky is dotted with all kinds of kites and in some cities the administration bans people from flying kites.
  
Jaishri, who is bowled over by what Gandhiji has done, takes pride in enacting salt Satyagraha and Quit India Movement at school functions. However, her friends prefer to watch movies like ‘Munnabhai Lage Raho’, ‘Border’ or ‘Gandhi’. On this day, every radio and TV channel plays patriotic songs catering to all ages. If at one end you have something from ‘Rang De Basanti’, then at the other end there would be something from ‘Border’.

“Whatever anybody is doing anywhere, they stop everything and get up once they hear the tricolour has been hoisted or the National Anthem is being sung. This just goes to prove that the spirit of patriotism still exists. One should build this up and make it compulsory for all students to take part in the NCC for at least a period of three years. This will help during emergencies when one requires manpower,” said Akshay, a student of NCC.

Independent India still lacks basic facilities of water and shelter for all. However it is making strides. It has the capability to manufacture its own missiles and has created a name for itself even in space. India has achieved a lot through various programmes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act which assures 100 days of employment in a year in rural areas, the Right to Education, the Right to Information, 50 percent reservation for women in local bodies, protection and welfare of minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes etc., through scholarships and special programmes. All these have made a difference in the lives of the people.

Thanks to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the country stands among the fastest growing economies of the world. It emerged successfully from a drought like situation in 2009 and when the world faced global meltdown.

Independence Day events are held in all State Capitals and are usually presided over by the concerned Chief Ministers. On this Independence Day, let us all take a pledge to protect our country from all enemies and also crush the evil in us. Let us come together and pay homage to the legends who died fighting for the country. Jai Hind!

Civil activists join struggle against black money

Currently there is a big debate going on in the county on how to bring back the black money to Indian shores. What this black money is all about? Black money is the money stashed by Indians in the banks abroad, particularly in Switzerland to avoid taxation here. The black money has been stashed by money launderers, specially the corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and others. But there has been a fighting going on particularly on this issue for some time now but due to lack of political will, this seems to be never-ending saga.

However, there has been a big upheaval in the country in the recent times over the black money issue with many civil activists like Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev joining the movement. Thanks to their efforts, the  fight against black money has taken a new dimension. Obviously, the fight against black money is gaining momentum and the support base is swelling by the day. This has brought immense pressure on the political leaders to do something serious on this issue. Even the Supreme Court has directed the Government of India to take steps to tackle the black money issue recently.

Following this there has been some sort of initiative on the part of the Indian government to tackle the black money issue. The Union government has recently constituted a committee to suggest a legal framework for confiscating such wealth by declaring it as "national assets". "A committee headed by the chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has been appointed to examine ways to strengthen laws to curb generation of black-money in India, its illegal transfer abroad and its recovery," Minister of state for finance S S Palanimanickam said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha recently.

He said the committee shall examine the existing legal and administrative framework to deal with the issue of generation of black money through illegal means. This would involve the wealth generated illegally as national asset besides enacting or amending laws to confiscate and recover such assets and suggesting punishment against its perpetrators. "The committee shall consult all stakeholders and submit its report within a period of six months," Palanimanickam added.

The government has been facing sever criticism in the recent times on the issue of black money not only from the opposition parties and civil
society, but also from the Supreme Court. Besides setting up specialised panels, the government is also amending the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) with different countries and entering into Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEA) with tax havens.

How much money did the Indians had put in the Swiss banks accounts.

However, there is no clarity on the issue. There are several confusing statements on the issue. However, some time back the Swiss banks officials themselves gave details of the money deposited by the Indians in their banks. According to their own statistics: The Indians hold about $2.5 billion (over Rs 11,000 crore) in Swiss banks, but this figure of Switzerland's central bank may be a gross understatement of
the total wealth directly and indirectly held there by the Indians. The ever-growing judicial scrutiny and political outcry over alleged stashing of black money in Swiss banks also seems to be forcing Indian entities to move their money to other safe havens like the Middle East,
Singapore and Mauritius. Some others say that half a billion dollars have been moved out in the last three years, according to the central bank's figures. While the bank did not reveal the reasons behind the flight of money from these accounts, officials at regulatory agencies in India fear that Indians might be moving their funds to safer locations like Mauritius, Dubai and other places in the Middle East region.

The issue of black money, including that stashed away in Swiss banks, has been a matter of intense political debate for many years in India,
while the courts have also widened their scrutiny in recent months.

Recently, the Supreme Court also constituted a special investigation team to probe the matter and has gone on to criticise the government
for not taking all required steps. At the same time, the global pressure has been rising on Switzerland to ask its banks to share information about their clients with foreign governments. India is also revising its bilateral treaty with the European nation to help it get more information about the Swiss bank accounts of Indians. It is being suspected now that Indians having illicit wealth in Swiss banks may be moving their funds in fear of being exposed due to growing scrutiny. At the same time, even those having legitimate funds in Swiss banks may be moving away, due to a growing level of negativity attached to them.

Hence, the central government needs to take a positive stand and need to contemplate the move of bringing back the Indian money from Swiss banks. One civil rights activist has recently said, "These billions of dollars of Indian black money have been allegedly appropriated from the people of India by exploiting and betraying them. Once this black money is brought back to India, the entire foreign debt like the World Bank loan can be repaid within 24 hours. Even after paying the entire debt,
we will have a surplus amount, which may be around 10 times larger than the foreign debt. The bank's interest gained from the surplus amount will be more than the annual budget of the Central government. So even if all the taxes are abolished, then also the Central government will be able to govern the nation in a long run without the burden of debts."

The problem of tax-evasion and black money cannot merely be looked upon as an anti-social activity or an unlawful activity. It is rather, like
a cancer in the country's economy which, if not checked in time, will ruin the country's economy. One of the worst consequences of black- money and tax-evasion-is their pernicious effect on the moral fiber of our society which puts a premium on dishonesty and shatters the faith of the common man in the dignity of honest labour and lawful living.
Black-money results in the functioning of a parallel economy in the country. The problem, therefore, needs immediate attention.

Black money in economic terms means 'unrecorded gains'. In other words, it is income which has escaped taxation. It may be hoarded in cash, but eventually gets itself converted into various assets like property, jeweler and durable consumer goods. Various estimates have been made regarding the quantity of black money in circulation. It is estimated that the amount of black-money has reached over Rs. 20,000 crores. The black money has now assumed vast dimensions and menacing proportions. It has been engaging the attention of the government and the public.

Black money arises due to various reasons. Some of those reasons are, unrealistically high rates of taxes in the country. India is at present, "the highest taxed nation n the world”. Besides, the tax laws in country are so complicated that a layman fails to understand it.
Another cause of black-money is numerous controls, licenses and other governmental regulations it is no exaggeration to say that the
controls, licensing and permit system has made black money indispensable to businessmen. Not only do import licenses command a high premium in the black market, but the licensing system has led to corruption at all levels. Black money also arises from political activities such as elections where candidates spend well above the ceiling prescribed by the Election Commission. This huge expenses in turn makes them corrupt. Last but not the least, the black money also arises from illegal activities like smuggling, drug-peddling etc.

Many steps have been taken by the government from time to time to check the tax evasion. Following Wanchoo Committee's recommendations the Government enacted the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 1975. This act
has brought on the statute various provisions for preventing tax evasion and proliferation of black-money Deterrent punishments have been, provided for tax-evasion. The other committees were—the Dangli Committee on Controls and Subsidies (1980), The Rajah Chelliah Committee, and the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (1985) etc.

Despite the steps taken by the Union government to bring back black money to Indian shores, there is a great deal of work still needs to be done in this matter. However the problem cannot be solved unless, the people of the country join the fight. But the fight can reach a logical end only when the individuals and the institutions, sending the money to abroad realize the folly they are doing to the nation by doing so.

Highest Sports honour for Gagan

‘Deer aye durusut aaye’ (Better late than never) goes the old adage. Shooting star Gagan Narang was delighted to hear that he had been recommended for the country’s highest sports honour, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, this year. He was very upset last year that he had missed the bus, but an honour this year has put him on the bull’s eye.

Reacting on the award, Gagan Narang said that he was happy that his performances had been recognized and he was now motivated to do better and stay focused on his target. Admitting that the award had pushed up the expectations from him, an undeterred Gagan Narang said that he had been experimenting with his rifle and equipment and was testing the right ammunition. Preparation for an Olympics medal would begin in right earnest next year, he said.

Narang, who would be playing for the country at the Olympics for the third time, said that till recently Indians were the last to make it to the competition, but the tide had changed now. With the Olympics still a year away, eight Indians have qualified for the London Olympics. They are Abhinav Bindra (rifle) Hari Om Singh (prone) Ronjan Sodhi (double trap), Sanjeev Rajput (three position) and Vijay Kumar, Annu Raj Singh and Rahi Sarnobat (pistol) and Narang (rifle).

Not finding his name in the awards list last year, Gagan Narang had for a fraction of a second thought of quitting, while playing for the World Championship in Munich. It was his coach Sunny Thomas and colleague Samaresh Jung who persuaded him to play. 

It is because of their persuasion that the 28-year-old Hyderabad-based rifle shooter became the first Indian marksman to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics with a bronze in the World Championships in 2010. “It is a win, I treasure most that taught me to handle situations not to one’s liking,” Gagan Narang said, adding that since then his gun had been talking.
 
What came after that, his performances in the Commonwealth Games and the Asians is history. He annexed four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games making his country and supporters proud, while playing at home. He is nursing another dream of flying a Sukhoi jet. IAF has extended the honour to cricket stars M S Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar and one hopes the same would be extended to Gagan Narang too.

Not satisfied with just making a name and winning awards, the Hyderabadi now wants to give back to the game so that no other father has to sell his land to buy rifles for his ward. Gagan Narang has started a shooting academy in Pune that would be conducting the first nationals from August 3. He said that some foreign companies had agreed to sponsor the event and they were looking for Indian sponsors. Academy’s primary aim is to train talented shooters and extend full support to them, Gagan said. He went on to add that enthusiasts could subscribe to their weekly newsletter, which would contain all news about shooting from across the globe. 

Remembering his early days, Gagan said that people would always inquire the best place for training, since he brought laurels for the country. He said that the picture of an archer shooting an arrow into a bowl and the Olympic flame lighting up at the 1992 Games is etched in his memory.

Among the other noted sportspersons, who have made it to the honours list include pacer Zaheer Khan. The 32-year-old fast bowler currently doing duty for the country in England has taken 271 wickets in Tests at an average of 31.94 and 273 wickets in one dayers at an average of 28.84. Last time, Delhi cricketer Gautam Gambhir bagged the Arjuna award in 2009. Indian football captain and striker Sunil Chettri, rising tennis star Somdev Devvarman and ace badminton player Jwala Gutta too figure in the awards list.

In 2010, Somdev Devvarman struck a golden double by finishing on top in both the Commonwealth and Asian Games singles events.

Gagan’s major achievements

2010: 2 Silver Medals, 10m Air Rifle (Individual and Pairs), Asian Games, Guangzhou.
2010: 4 Gold Medals, Commonwealth Games Delhi.
2010: Bronze Medalist, 10m Air Rifle, ISSF World Championships Munich.
2010: Bronze Medalist, 10m Air Rifle, ISSF World Cup Beijing.
2010: 4 Gold and 2 silver in the Rifle Events at VIII Commonwealth Shooting Championships, New Delhi.
2009: Gold Medalist, 50m Rifle 3 Positions, ISSF World Cup Changwon.
2009: Bronze Medalist, 10m Air Rifle, ISSF World Cup Changwon.
2008: Gold Medalist, 10m Air Rifle, ISSF World Cup Final Bangkok.
2008: Bronze Medalist, 10m Air Rifle, ISSF World Cup Beijing.
2007: Silver Medalist, 50m Rifle Prone, Asian Championships Kuwait City.
2006: Gold Medalist, 10m Air Rifle, ISSF World Cup Guangzhou.
2006: Bronze Medalist, 50m Rifle 3 Positions, Asian Games Doha.
2006: Quadruple Gold Medalist, Commonwealth Games Melbourne.
2005: Gold Medalist, 10m Air Rifle, Asian Championships Bangkok.

Arjuna Award winners
1. Zaheer Khan (Cricket)
2. Rahul Banerjee (Archery)
3. Preeja Sreedharan (Athletics)
4. Jwala Gutta (Badminton)
5. Suranjoy Singh (Boxing)
6. Sunil Chhetri (Football)
7. Rajpal Singh (Hockey)
8. Rakesh Kumar (Kabaddi)
9. Tejaswini Sawant (Shooting)
10. Virdhawal Khade (Swimming)
11. Ashish Kumar (Gymnastics)
12. Somdev Devvarman (Tennis)
13. Ravinder Singh (Wrestling)
14. Ravi Kumar (Weightlifting)
15. Vikas Gowda (Athletics)
16. Sandhya Rani (Wushu)
17. Prasanta Karmakar (Swimming)
18. Sanjay Kumar (Volleyball)
19. Tejaswini (Kabaddi)

Depression, Inability to Construct Future

 Depression is a psychological disorder with pervasive feelings of depressive moods. Depressions are due to an imbalance in brain chemicals. Sometimes without any event or incident one might feel depressed. Anyone can be a victim of depression. People get affected depending upon their life experiences, situations, incidents and personalities. Individuals can suffer from depression regardless of their age, sex and religion. But individuals who are suffering from serious medical conditions or those who have experienced negative life incidents are more at risk.
The term Depression is mostly used to describe a temporary mood called, “Feeling Blue”. Blue days are when you are just so upset, teary-eyed and down in the dumps for no apparent reason. Oh, how they sneak up on you, again and again. You could simply live with them, which is fine, or you could get up and take ACTION. You can’t think away the blues; you’ve got to beat them out with a stick.

Causes of Depression
There may not be just a single cause for depression or it may be a combination of many causes. A few of them are listed below:

• Being in a negative social environment
• Taking anti-depressants that change the levels of neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain)
• Consuming excessive processed foods
• Following a hectic lifestyle, long working hours and insignificant leisure time
• Living under high levels of stress
• Developing low self-esteem and a pessimist personality
• Suffering from medical conditions like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and hypertension
• Having poor sleep quality and insomnia
• Developing post partum depression i.e. depression that occurs after giving birth due to hormonal changes in the body
• Experiencing negative life incidents and stressors

Symptoms of Depression
           It becomes easier to identify depression if you are aware of the symptoms. Consulting a psychiatrist can be a good idea in case of severe persistence of more than three of the following signs for about two weeks:

• Feelings of sadness, anxiety and emptiness
• Experiencing loss of appetite, weight gain or weight loss
• Being restless or irritable
• Finding it difficult to think, remember and make decisions
• Feeling sluggish, low energy levels and loss of interest in social activities
• Getting up in the middle of night or insomnia
• Feeling lonely
• Trying to avoid attention
• Finding high noise levels intolerable
• Feeling constantly sick or getting headaches
• Fatigue sets in and you feel worthless
• Feelings of ending life or suicidal tendencies

Curing depression
         Once you have identified the symptoms, do not leave yourself unattended. Find the right ways to come out of depression. Some basic but crucial action points have been listed below:
Do something
Get outdoors for some exercise, even if only for a walk. This will help you to keep physically fit, and will help you sleep. Even if you can’t work, it’s good to keep active. This could be housework, do-it-yourself (even as little as changing a light bulb), or any activity that is part of your normal routine. Tidy your cupboard or dust the dresser. Focusing on the task at hand will help take your mind off your worries. Use a little creativity. The change can work wonders to boost your flagging spirits.

Eat well
You may not feel like eating - but try to eat regularly. Depression can make you lose weight and run short of vitamins which will only make you feel worse. Fresh fruits and vegetables are particularly helpful.

Beware of alcohol!
Try not to drown your sorrows with a drink. Alcohol actually makes depression worse. It may make you feel better for a short while, but it doesn't last. Drinking can stop you dealing with important problems and from getting the right help. It's also bad for your physical health.

Sharp Dress Up
True, this may be one of those days that you don’t even feel like brushing your hair, much less dressing up, but push yourself. Wear a bright outfit, put on your make up and tell yourself you look like a million bucks. Don’t stop there, start believing it! Pretty soon you’ll start feeling it.

Set a Goal
Tell yourself you're going to finish that novel that's going to make you famous by the end of the year/month/week, and start working on it right away.

Connect  with  old friends
 If you don't put a letter in your outbox, you're not going to get one in. So talk to your friend over phone or send off an email to a dear friend from whom you haven't heard from in ages.

Watch Movie/ Funny Programme
Surf the channels for a funny movie or serial and laugh your blues away. Highly recommended: view with Ice cream and Chocolates.
 
Cooking
Walk in to the kitchen and prepare some delicious food or try a new experiment with your innovative thoughts. This will divert your mind from depression.

Avoid Being Alone
Always try to be in the company of somebody, 
who understands you and who can change your mind in a positive way. Sometimes you need not speak anything, just sit in a group and observe what people are speaking and how happy they are. Automatically without your knowledge you will mix with them.

Music Therapy
Switch on to FM. Listening to the DJ's yak will give you a feeling of connectivity to the outside world.  Just sit quietly in a room, listen to some soft music and start thinking about good times spent with your friends or loved ones. I am sure it will help. It helps you feel peaceful and relaxed. The music should be slow and preferably classical.
        It is the rhythm of the music that has a calming effect on us. When we feel relaxed we forget our worries even if it is for a short while. To incorporate music into a busy life, try playing CDs in the car and listen to your favourite music in your leisure time

Sleep Tight
If you can't sleep, try not to worry about it. Settle down with some relaxing music or television while you're lying in bed. Your body will get a chance to rest and, with your mind occupied, you may feel less anxious and find it easier to get some sleep.

Sleep will increase your lifespan, and prevent certain serious health problems. If a person does not get enough sleep his performance - both at home and at work place - will be lacking. Low creativity, laziness, irritability - all these are associated with lack of sleep.
How much is needed is another doubt. While the amount of sleep required varies from person to person, eight hours of sleep should be adequate. However, some people manage on four and five hours of sleep as well - but on the whole seven to nine hours of sleep is what the majority of young and middle aged men and women require. As we age, we require less sleep. In any case, what's more important than the quantity of sleep is the quality.

Tips to sleep well
• Drink a glass of warm milk before retiring for the night
• Avoid caffeinated drinks. They are known to keep you tossing and turning well into the night
• Sleep at roughly the same time every night
• Wake up at the same time every morning, even if you have a holiday. Try and get your body accustomed to a sleep rhythm
• Don't exercise within three hours of your bedtime. Exercise early morning or early evening, at least four hours after lunch 
• Don't work in the bedroom. Your bedroom should be only used for relaxation and should consequently be associated with feelings of tranquility and rest

Yoga and Meditation
Meditation is a very old and religious technique to achieve enlightenment and cultivating a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind. Yoga is one of the best gifts which our ancient spiritual saints could give to their coming generations. Simple Yoga comprises of certain special poses and deep breathing. Yoga brings very soothing effect on physical and mental plane of an individual. Continuous practice of Yoga can give wonderful results in controlling the emotions and stress. It can give new life and enables a person to fight depression in more efficient manner. Relaxation and breathing techniques show instantaneous results. Similarly meditation is part of Yoga. The purpose of meditation is to increase focusing power. It is aimed at enhancing the concentration power which in return gives lot of health benefits.

Massage
Another remedy to get relaxation is body massage. Massage with essential herbal oils induces soothing effect both on mind and in the body. Massage will be a great way to cool down depression.

Laughter Therapy
Laughter is a good exercise for the facial muscles as it relaxes most of the muscles of the face. Laughter creates a positive attitude in the mind and is thus one of the best relaxation techniques. You should have noticed group of people laughing in the park of your area in the early hours. Therapists also suggest that laughing helps ease most of our tensions away. Laughter therapy is recommended for those who are depressed and feel low all the time. But does it really work? Yes, Laughter Therapy is being considered as one of the best remedies to get rid of depression. It boosts the levels of the immune system which helps the system's ability to fight illness and boost healing. Laughter decreases stress hormones that narrow blood vessels and suppress immune activity. This is proven fact now that humour strengthens the immune system. It reduces pain. When a person cracks jokes and laughs in the company of his friends, he feels light. Laughter can provide good cardiac conditioning especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercises.

Take a Break:
Taking a break often proves very helpful. Almost all of us might have experienced that stressful situation blocks our mind making the circumstances more complex. Taking a break, sometimes, offers good opportunities to find desirable solutions. So take a break from your tight daily routine. Switch off all your activities for sometime in the day and relax for a while and feel the difference. A short break can fill you with a sense of refreshment and get you back with new and fresh approach.

Final Advice:
First try to understand the cause for it, then checkout whether it can be solved or is it something which can be discussed/shared with others. Try to view the greater/broader picture of the problem. Have a nice and long bath, cry if you want, but don’t be shy. Eat a good meal. Sleep and get relaxed. Then, go out for a walk, go to some cool place, not too much noisy, or try to visit your friends' or go out with them. Choose nice and calm friend to go out with.
         See the part of glass which is half full. Get yourself a hobby and only have happy people around you and encourage people to NOT sympathize with you. Think positive about yourself & see that you have people who love you & want you to love yourself as they do. Share you problems with your loved ones, think of how people have loved you, think of those unprivileged people, thank god for whatever happiness you have.

Memory Improvement Techniques

“Memory is the mother of all wisdom.”
Lack of concentration and weak memory is a growing problem amongst kids and young persons. Parents are worried that their children are not doing well in their studies due to little brain power or lack of concentration etc.
This is a true scenario in many families. Children are not showing much interest in studies as they have vast surrounding of different entertainment gadgets. These gifts of modern technology include great number of channels on television, introduction of special programmes for children, 24 hours cartoon network, movies, entertainment and many more other ever growing amusement channels being introduced frequently by various Television Channels affecting the sub-conscious mind of children.

       As if this was not enough, mobile with lot of other facilities has come into the picture. Students who are weak in their studies find this type of reward more exciting. Parents provide these facilities in anticipation that they have fulfilled the desire of their children and that they would take more interest in their studies. But when students do not excel, parents are worried. They try to find out other solutions for betterment of studies.
         However, the facts mentioned above may be appealing, but these cannot be conclusive altogether. Students who are availing all these facilities are still best at their studies and those without it have been found loosing their grades. All this is a matter of concentration and brain memory.

          Is it possible to increase concentration power? Is it possible to improve memory? How to improve memory, how to focus on the activities you are performing and how to understand the concepts of your subject easily? Some of the below mentioned techniques are useful to enhance your memory power.

Ø Impressions:
           Memory power is less because of lack of impressions in the mind, when you show 100% concentration you will be able to remember it. Always mind will be roaming with lot of things. If your mind is concentrating on one aspect, in such case you will be able to remember the concept for ever in your life. There are some situations when people have to do two or more work at a time. Chances are less to have command over any topic.

           If you are feeling bored and to pass time you go and attend a seminar, it may not be useful to you. With curiosity and interest, if you attend the seminar it will be useful. Ex: A Professor gave two hours lecture on Banking or Stock Exchange, students feel bored, so take them to the bank or stock exchange and explain.  They will concentrate and remember the things in long term memory.

           Do the things which you like and are useful for you in life, then you will get success. If the students are studying the subjects for the exams, they cannot remember it easily. If they like and love the subject, they will easily understand and get the things in their long term memory.  Ex:  when you see a beautiful lady in a party, you will never forget her in your life. Here interest plays a vital role. Compare your mind with steel (anything written on mind will not erase).

Ø Relaxation:

    Concentration and relaxation both are inter-related things. We get concentration, when mind and body are totally relaxed. Ex: An Officer who feels he was loaded with lot of work and does things in tension, he makes a lot of mistakes.  If he feels cool and does the things, he would never make mistakes.
           As per the research on some students, it has been proved that “those who are in tension, lack self-confidence, feel inferior and are 50% failures. Ex: you are not much handsome and you love a beautiful girl, she will never look at you. You concentrate on your professional career and get good name and fame, not only that beautiful girl but everybody would like you.

          Study the subject by relaxing: Ex: A person who studies six hours a day for one week without much interest and another person who studies one hour daily with lot of concentration, who will get more advantage? Obviously the second person. Let me explain through another example: Ravi, a student who used to study the subjects two days before exams was scoring 60% on an average when he realised this method would not be beneficial for his career he started reading the subjects daily and never got less than 90%.To become perfect and thorough, daily practice is needed.

Ø Repetition:

If you read any concept by repeating many times, you will be able to remember that concept in the long run. Students will be saying that “I am unable to remember the subject” remedy is, read the same topic more times. Read it loudly, when you read loudly, your voice will reach your mind and concentration will not go anywhere.

         Suppose there are 10 topics to remember, split it into 5 parts. After learning 2 topics, before going to the 3rd topic, revise the first two topics and go for the third topic. In the same way, when you go for the 6th topic, revise 5 topics and touch the 6th topic.
The following tips will be useful to remember the subject.

v Instead of learning continuously for three hours, take rest in the middle and continue your work.
v Read loudly, where your voice, eyes, mind, ears, heart should work.
v After a long gap if you touch an interesting topic you will never forget in your life.
v Go for self talk like “I am able to remember whatever I read”.
v Instead of making parts of one topic, read everything at a time, so that you will be able to understand it more effectively.
v Understand, feel and study the subject, it will be easy to memorize the things.


Ø Recitation:

         With this method any matter you may understand more easily. After reading one topic, keep the book a side and start recollecting with your voice. If you go for this method, you will be able to remember the topic in the long run. Ex: when a professor is giving a lecture, if you write the notes, you cannot concentrate on lecture. The best method is, hear the lecture with concentration and empathetically. After the lecture, recollect the points and write the notes. If you read one hour, spend half an hour to recollect the topic.
                                         
v First understand the concept of topic

v Then start reading

v The more times you read, you will remember it for a long period

How to remember the names of people:

When you meet new friends or colleagues it will be difficult to remember their names. Remedy is, whenever you meet them call them with their names use their name frequently. Instead of asking how are you? Say how are you Mr. Raju? To remember the names connect their names with something. Ex: A person’s name is Ashok, recollect the king Ashoka or Ashoka chakra in our flag. If it is Mr. Anand, recollect chess champion Viswanathan Anand. Take great personalities imagine anything.

Ø Self-Confidence:

Negative thoughts are the main draw back of self-confidence. Negative thoughts like “I am unable to remember, I cannot concentrate”. When you have confidence on your self, it will sharpen your memory power. If you are in a dilemma, fear, inferior complex, whatever you read you cannot remember it or mind will not cooperate.

         Daily before going to bed at least ten times go for self talk like “my memory power is increasing, I am able to remember it”. It will enhance your self-confidence as well as you are able to remember the things. Be confident on your memory. Never doubt your memory. You should believe your memory like a relation between friends, husband and wife, mother and son. Whenever in such a relation, if one person suspects the other that relation will not stay for long. In the same way, you and your memory should have a good understanding and should be always positive.

Ø No disturbance:

When you are studying, there should not be any disturbance like friends want to chat with you or radio, TV, Cricket something is attracting you. Now you’re reading my article without disturbance. After this reading, memorize the things for half an hour. You will have the maximum benefit and progress.

After reading, sleep soundly without watching TV. When you get up in the morning, you will be able to recollect the topic. When you sleep there should not be any disturbance to your memory. When you are awake the whole night with a second show movie or any other avocation, your memory will not cooperate to remember the material.
  
Ø Selection of topics/Subjects:

Do not read the same subject many hours together, because it will be very difficult to concentrate and you will feel bored.  Ex: after reading science for two hours take math’s and after math’s take English like this change your subjects and read.

Ø Solutions  to problems in dreams:

When you want innovative thoughts something useful for your presentation solution for a problem you will get new ideas, thoughts and solutions to problems in night dream. Ex: Mr. Aravind always gets solutions and different ideas in dreams which made him no 1 in class.

Ø Pressure on mind:

Never put pressure on mind. Suppose you want to recollect particular thing, but you are not getting it. Relax; feel burden free, think and you will be able to recollect it.

Ø Music therapy:

If you are determined to read four to five hours at a stretch, after an hour or two, instead of watching a crime serial or a movie go for music therapy. Select a melody song and close your eyes and lie down on the bed for 10 minutes and get back to studies.

Good habits for reading:
v Fix up a particular time. Daily follow the same time table.
v Create cool atmosphere in your room.
v Arrange all things like pen, pencil, pad and required books. Unnecessarily if you get up in between you may loose your concentration.
v Ask family or friends not to disturb you. Do not keep phone or T.V near by.
v After reading for an hour take rest for 10minutes
v Never read after taking food, if you read immediately body will be lazy for some period. Take snacks or fruits in relaxation period.
v Take care of ventilation and chair.
v Read first difficult subject and then easy subject.

If you follow the above method you will go to optimum learning state.

Conclusion:  A great memory can help you in succeeding in school, college, in your job, business and in personal life. It can help you learn faster, and fast learners are always in demand and they make more money, name and fame. If you’re willing to make a few life styles changes and learn powerful memory techniques. You really can improve your memory.
        
You might have heard the word ‘No’ lakh times in your life and ‘Yes’ in hundreds, that negative impact will be there on the mind. You want to be a good teacher, politician, Engineer etc, but you may not be having talent, sources, and experience. In all such cases, the word ‘but’ plays a negative role and turn it in a positive role wherever you go, whatever you do, you will be successful.

(The author is HOD – MBA Dept, Gurunanak Institute of Technology, Ibrahimpatnam)

Harikatha Chudamani in the service of God

Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari presenting the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award-2010 to M. V. Simhachala Sastry, Andhra Pradesh, for his outstanding contribution to Harikatha, at the investiture ceremony of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards-2010, in New Delhi on July 22, 2011. Union Minister for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Culture, Kum. Selja and the Chairperson, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Smt. Leela Samson are also seen.

Muppavarapu Venkata Simhachala Sastry, a Harikatha exponent, from Tirupati was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi award under the ‘Other major traditions of music' category for Harikatha in Delhi on July 22, 2011. Born on May 17, 1968 in Guntur, AP, to M Subbamma and M Kesav Rao, Simhachala Sastry has contributed significantly to the sustenance and development of this art form and his performance is applauded by the way he handles the story, prose, poetry or the lyrical form. A senior artist of All India Radio, he has participated in many prestigious music festivals in India and won many laurels. His award reminds of K Viswanath’s movies ‘Shankarabharanam’ and ‘Swarna Kamlam’. The movies highlighted the fact that countrymen were brushing under the carpet old art forms for pursuing globalised ones. TCG spoke to M V Simhachala Sastry after receiving the award.

Congratulations on winning the award. How do you feel about it?
Thank you. The honour has not been bestowed on me but to the great art form Harikatha that has been recognized now. This is the first time that Sangeet Natak Akademi award has been conferred to this art form. Harikatha is worthy of a national award. I came to know that I had been selected for the award when a colleague of mine sent me an SMS. It was at 5.30 am when I received the message and I had to look for my spectacles to read the message as I misread the word congratulations. The award is the kindness and love bestowed by God. Harikatha means namasmarna (remembrance) of Hari (God).

What is the true meaning of Harikatha? 
Harikatha is a form of Hindu religious discourse in the format of storytelling tuned to music and laced with moral values. Harikatha usually deals with the stories from the Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata or the life of saints like Adi Shankara. It is basically to educate the people and help them think about their future. Harikatha is a composite art form composed of story telling, poetry, music, drama, dance and philosophy. Delving into the Hindu mythology, we are aware that Narada muni sang for Lord Vishnu, while Lord Rama’s sons Lava and Kusha sang the Ramayana after being tutored by Valmiki. 

Who brought Harikatha into the limelight?
Harikatha came to Andhra Pradesh in 20th century with Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu (1864–1945), scholar and musician, who composed Puranic stories, and interspersed them with prose commentaries, a style adopted by numerous singers later. To become a successful Harikatha exponent, Narayana Dasu taught himself several languages and music. Such a great artiste was he that Dasu also composed in Sanskrit complete with raga and tala that placed him in the highest bracket of vaggeyakaras. Among his most notable admirers was noted laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who compared him to Kaalidasa.
One of the greatest facts about Narayana Dasu was his love for foreign languages. He translated Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat into Sanskrit and was also devoted to Shakespeare and successfully translated passages of ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Romeo & Juliet.’

What motivated you to take up Harikatha?
I took up this profession to propagate the name of God and create awareness among the people and resurrect the falling moral values. One Harikatha can do what 100 universities put together can’t do. Harikatha is like a mobile university, it goes to the people and reaches out to them. Apart from entertaining them it imparts knowledge too. Harikatha consists of prose, poetry, music and values – all told in an interesting way. To captivate the audience, daily nuances, current affairs and general knowledge are inter-woven to make the Harikatha more interesting.

When did you decide to make this your profession?    
At the age of 14 years, I decided to take up this profession after I heard the story of ‘Rukmini Kalyanam’ by Karur Krishnadasa Bhagavatar, who lived just opposite my house in Guntur. Hearing Karur Krishnadas Bhagavatar brought lot of mental peace that determined my resolve and moved me to this field. In fact, Karur Krishnadas had undergone training under Narayana Das and I felt it was a great opportunity to learn from such a great person. Other gurus who taught me to hone my skills are Y. Subramanya Sastri, Burra Sivaramakrishna Sarma and G.L.V. Subbamamba.

What are the essential qualities required to become a good Harikatha artiste?   
One must have love for literature, poetry, history and knowledge of music to keep the audience enthralled. He must know that he is a person to create inquisitiveness among the person to learn more. It is like lighting a lamp to drive away darkness.   
Did you have any formal training in music?
I learnt Carnatic music under the guidance of Addanki Tirumalacharyulu and S. Lakshmi Ramana Rao. This helped me to hone my vocal chords and on hearing great artistes like M L Vasantha Kumari, D K Pattamal and others I learnt the nuances more and applied it to my singing. I was lucky to recite all the vaggeyakaras' compositions in chaste diction and melody which became a blessing to me.

Did you run into problems while pursuing the art form?
No. Even for a fraction of a second I did not run into any problems. All this is a blessing of God.

Did you ever think of changing course mid-stream?
No. Everything is destined by God and we merely follow it. I became a Harikatha artiste after studying/practicing the course for three-and-a-half years. By the time, many people turn 18 and are in their second year of Inter, I became a Harikatha artiste. By the grace of God, I completed my academic qualifications too. I followed both and successfully graduated with a Commerce degree from Acharya Nagurjuna University. I am also greatly thankful to a scholarship provided by the Union Ministry of Human Resources and Development in 1989 to pursue my art form.

Did you attend any training programmes in Harikatha?
In 1987, I underwent a six-month training camp conducted by the Telugu University in Hyderabad.  

Do you think one can survive by following this art form?
Yes. An artiste must be devoted to his profession and do hard work to achieve success. No shortcuts would do as the audience is well-qualified and a person can be fooled once, but not the second time. There is truth in following the maxim that ‘Hard work always pays’.

What are the other awards conferred on you?
Ugadi Visista Puraskaram by the Government of Andhra Pradesh (2008), Harikatha Chudamani from the AdiBhatta Narayana Dasa Aradhana Sangham (2006), and was declared Asthana Vidwan by the Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham (2008).

Have you performed abroad?
Yes. By the grace of god, I have performed in London, Malaysia and Singapore.

Apart from giving Harikatha performances, what do you do?
Since 2005, I am employed as a lecturer in Harikatha at S V College of Music and Dance, TTD, Tirupati. The college conducts courses in Harikatha Visharda (Three years), Harikatha Praveen (two years), Diploma and certificate courses in Harikatha for a period of six years. I am also an ‘A' grade artiste of the All-India Radio.

What is the basic qualification to take admission into Harikatha course?
An eighth class pass and knowledge of Sanskrit, Telugu and Music. Here the students’ skills are fine tuned and they are taught other subjects
like Environmental Science and others too.

What are your future plans?
Spread the message of God and create awareness among people.